1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a multifunctional clamp apparatus and clamp system configured to secure various items such as cutting boards, workspace boards, containers, and receptacles to a wide variety of horizontal planar surfaces and edges, such as table tops, desks, counters, shelves, and drawers.
2. Description of the Related Art
The tasks of organization and space-saving have traditionally posed a frustrating exercise, especially for those with limited space in their living or work spaces. Users have traditionally tried using various containers or receptacles for organization and storage of items, only to have the containers and receptacles take up valuable tabletop, counter, or work space. In addition, using unsecured containers and receptacles for storage and organization often leads to additional clutter to the user's living space or workspace thereby exacerbating the issue. Further, the ability to move items, such as cut food on a cutting board or countertop, toys with small parts, nuts, bolts, nails, screws, buttons, or crafts, into a container without having to hold the container, would be desirable.
For example, users are often faced with limited storage and tabletop or countertop space in the kitchen, especially those who live and/or spend time in smaller homes, apartments, RVs, mobile homes, modular homes, boats or the like. This may become an issue when preparing a meal in the kitchen and limited countertop space prevents users from comfortably preparing or organizing ingredients. Additionally, people with limited space in their offices or workspaces are often left frustrated by the lack of storage space or desktop space available for getting work accomplished. For example, extra work or storage space would be very useful for hobbyists, crafters, and professionals with smaller or limited work or office space, and students with small study desks or those living in college dormitories which are often notoriously cramped.
It is desirable to have an adjustable multifunctional clamp apparatus and clamp system which allows a user to secure various apparatuses such as cutting boards and work boards to provide additional workspace surfaces, and which further allow a user to secure various organizational and storage apparatuses such as containers or receptacles, regardless of size of the container or receptacle, to various surfaces and fixtures to provide space saving organization and storage solutions. The apparatus may further be configured to be secured to a side edge of a work surface such as a cutting board such that the apparatus allows for attachment of a convenient and secure container for brushing items off of the cutting board surface and into the storage space of the container.
Traditional apparatuses and systems have thus far failed to provide an adequate solution to the problem. U.S. Pat. No. 8,015,927 and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0162928 to Helline disclose a cleaning tray with gripping parts for removably engaging a table outer edge which has a removable receptacle for receiving trash centered in the main body, and a compartment attached to a rear side of the main body. The Helline references do not allow for adjustability of the gripping parts to accommodate various sizes of receptacles. The Helline references also do not allow for alternative configurations and uses for organization and space saving functionality.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,880 to Fortunato discloses a shelf extending apparatus for presenting a product forward of a shelf. The apparatus has a container for holding and displaying the product in the container. The apparatus includes a rear wall configured to receive a clamp having a pair of spaced arms cantilevered therefrom. However, Fortunato does not allow for use of the shelf extending apparatus in combination with various receptacles or containers. Fortunato also does not allow for alternative configurations and uses for organization and space saving functionality.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,972 to Makowski discloses a debris receptacle apparatus for attachment to a cutting board including a bag holding frame, a U-shaped backstop, attached legs, and a leg holding plate. The apparatus is configured to be fixed to the underside of a standard cutting board. A more secure attachment mechanism and the ability to use one's existing containers of any size is lacking in Makowski.
There is a need for an adjustable multifunctional clamp apparatus and clamp system which allows a user to secure various apparatuses such as cutting boards and work boards to provide additional workspace surfaces, and which further allow a user to secure various organizational and storage apparatuses such as containers or receptacles of various sizes and shapes to various surfaces and fixtures to provide space saving organization and storage solutions.